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Peanut butter and jelly aren't the only things that go together for Edward Burns. The actor-writer-director can't resist casting his latest ingenues in his latest projects.
First there was Maxine Bahns in "The Brothers McMullen" and "She's the One." Then there was the interlude with Jim Carrey's ex, Lauren Holly, in "No Looking Back." Up next: current galpal Heather Graham in his new romantic comedy "Sidewalks of New York."
The indie project, set in New York (obviously), interweaves several modern love stories. Co-stars include actor-filmmaker Stanley Tucci, "Light It Up's" Rosario Dawson and "Girl, Interrupted's" Brittany Murphy. In his standard do-it-all fashion, Burns serves as the director, writer and producer.
Daily Variety reports that shooting will begin Wednesday in Gotham.
Burns, 32, and Graham, 30, began dating in 1998.
THE CONTENDERS: "The Insider's" Michael Mann may have the skinny on the director's chair for the planned big-screen Muhammad Ali biopic.
Columbia Pictures and producer Jon Peters have met with several A-listers to direct the Will Smith-toplined project. Variety says the contenders are Mann, Spike Lee and Curtis Hanson ("L.A. Confidential").
A final decision is expected soon. The studio has been looking for a candidate since "Wild Wild West" director Barry Sonnenfeld exited last fall. The story follows the pre-Ali days when the fighter was simply an up-and-coming buck named Cassius Clay.
Mann's name comes into play just days after he earned three Oscar nominations for directing, writing and producing "The Insider." Also on Mann's list of possible projects are a few other box-office heavyweights. He's met with Brad Pitt about "Shooter," a story that follows a sniper lured out of retirement and then betrayed; and he's developing a Howard Hughes biopic with Leonardo DiCaprio. (Leo's also attached to Mann's cops-and-corruption tale "The Inside Man.") Plus, there's an epic Mann's producing with Tom Hanks about Julius Caesar and Pompey the Great -- two dead Roman leader guys.
FLOATING ON 'FEATHERS': New sensation Jude Law won't be resting on that Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination for long. Variety says "The Talented Mr. Ripley" co-star has committed to the lead role in "Four Feathers," a project that begins shooting in July.
"Elizabeth's" Shekhar Kapur will be at the helm for the Paramount/Miramax co-production. The movie's a remake of the Zoltan Korda tale about a British officer who resigns before battle and is given four white feathers by his fiancŽe and friends to remind him of his cowardice.
Law's also looking to position himself as "The Good Shepherd" in an MGM pic to be directed by Robert De Niro. The actor recently read for the Erich Roth script, about a CIA agent recruited during the agency's early World War II-era days. Over time, the responsibility of being a secret agent begins to take its toll on his family life.
"Shepherd" would preoccupy the actor's time come early 2001.

Arnold Schwarzenegger has settled his $50 million lawsuit against the Globe tabloid over a 1998 story concerning his health, his publicist said Tuesday.
After the 52-year-old Schwarzenegger’s 1997 surgery to repair a heart valve, doctors had said there was no reason the star could not continue his active lifestyle. The Globe printed an article saying he was in ill health and in danger of a heart attack. The Terminator himself then sued the tabloid, alleging that the article defamed him by saying his heart was a "ticking time bomb in his chest" and that he was "living in fear that … his heart will suddenly quit."
The Globe will donate an undisclosed amount of money to Schwarzenegger’s charity, the Inner City Games Foundation, admit the story was wrong and publish a retraction, correction and apology, according to Catherine Olim, the actor’s publicist.
END OF (PLANET HOLLYWOOD) DAYS: While we have your attention, we also bring you word that Arnold Schwarzenegger is out of Planet Hollywood, and he won’t be back.
The action star announced in a statement issued by his publicist Tuesday that he is severing his relationship with the theme restaurant chain now that his five-year contract with the company has expired. His announcement arrives four days after Planet Hollywood recovered from Chapter 11 bankruptcy, and made plans to focus on its current restaurants rather than open new ones. It will also announce new celebrity affiliations in the next few weeks. Schwarzenegger’s spokeswoman said there was no connection between his departure and the announcement.
"Of course, I am disappointed that the company did not continue with the success I had expected and hoped for," Schwarzenegger said. "I wish Planet Hollywood well, but I want to focus my attention now on new U.S. and global business ventures, and on my movie career.''
The other investors ? Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis, Demi Moore and Whoopi Goldberg -- remain.
SUDDENLY STALKED?: A Los Angeles man pleaded not guilty Tuesday to stalking Brooke Shields. Mark Bailey, 41, also pleaded not guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm with its identification numbers filed off.
Prosecutors say Bailey, 41, followed the "Suddenly Susan" star several times between Oct. 21, 1999, and Jan. 10. when he was arrested. The criminal complaint alleged Bailey ``did maliciously and repeatedly follow and harass Brooke Shields and made a credible threat with the intent that she be placed in reasonable fear for her safety and the safety of her immediate family," according to Reuters.
A preliminary hearing was set for Thursday to see if there is enough evidence to try Bailey; no word on if Shields, 34, will be presented as a witness.
TEARFUL TELEVISION: Marie Osmond addressed her marital heartache on her talk show, and the response was an emotional one.
"No outside parties or influences'' prompted her to separate from husband Brian Blosil, a music producer, Osmond said at the beginning of the syndicated "Donny &amp; Marie" show Monday. Osmond and Blosil were married 13 years.
She called the separation ``a very private family issue,'' but said she didn't want to be secretive about it. She fought tears when she spoke of her seven children, and Donny Osmond, her brother and co-host, cried as he told Marie he loves and supports her.
QUICK TAKES: Robert De Niro will receive a lifetime achievement award at the Berlin Film Festival, which takes place Feb. 9-20 and will feature 12 of his films…
… Mike Myers’ chest hair will compete against Eddie Murphy’s wrinkles for the makeup Oscar nomination Feb. 12. Five films -- "Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me," "Bicentennial Man," "Blast From the Past," "Life" and "Topsy-Turvy" -- will be screened for the makeup award committee, which will either nominate up to three films, recommend one for a Special Achievement award or decide none of them deserve it…
…Globe winner Hilary Swank has just been named ShoWest’s Female Star of Tomorrow. The "Boys Don’t Cry" star joins past winners Nicole Kidman, Cameron Diaz and Winona Ryder…
…Rocker Mick Jagger has applied to the European Union to register his name as a trademark to sell items such as cologne, deodorant, fingernail treatments, footwear and headgear, according to Reuters. Sorry, Mick, but we can’t imagine anyone wanting to buy Jagger Press-On Nails.

"Whatever you do, do NOT refer to this film as a musical." That was the proclamation of British filmmaker Mike Leigh when "Topsy-Turvy" was screened at the New York Film Festival.
True, there are large-scale musical numbers, but these set pieces are there to illustrate and, in some cases, advance the plot. Instead, what Leigh has achieved is the most successful integration of theatrical production numbers and comedy-drama since Bob Fosse tackled "Cabaret" in the early 1970s. And like that movie, "Topsy-Turvy" is also set during a period of upheaval, although one more subtly portrayed.
Fans of Leigh's "social surrealism" (best demonstrated in the Oscar-nominated "Secrets &amp; Lies" and the critically acclaimed "Life Is Sweet" and "Naked") will be in for a bit of a shock. In attempting his first large-scale period piece, the writer-director focuses not on the proletariat but on a turning point in the collaboration between bon vivant Sir Arthur Sullivan (a fine Alan Corduner) and the dour William S. Gilbert (an appropriately irascible Jim Broadbent).
The Victorian era mores were beginning to loosen, and Leigh slyly depicts this through Sullivan's relationship with the married Fanny Ronalds (Eleanor David), in some cast members' objections to loose-fitting costumes that press the boundaries of propriety, and by introducing technological innovations such as a reservoir pen and the telephone.
What is perhaps most impressive about this film, however, is that Leigh once again employed his tried and true methods of improvisations with the cast before actually writing the script. Despite the confines of historical fact, he has managed to craft an intriguing if overstuffed jewel box of a film. Some will carp over its split between biopic and backstage drama, while others may feel there are too many asides.
If Leigh has a weakness as a director, it is that he tends to include extraneous material. In "Topsy-Turvy," there are several such instances. On the other hand, Leigh is not a self-indulgent filmmaker; those added sequences are there either to provide background or to give a particular actor a moment. Still, there is a shapeless feel to the material, as if burdened with an excess of riches, Leigh felt he had to include it all.
The plot conflict arises from Sullivan's desire to compose loftier work than the popular operettas for which he became renowned. He voices his concerns that Gilbert (rankled by being called the "king of topsy-turvy" by the august Times of London) is repeating himself, and the pair is at loggerheads over fulfilling their contract with the Savoy Theatre. Through happenstance, Gilbert hits upon an idea that develops into "The Mikado," which rejuvenates their creative partnership.
On this rather slight outline, Leigh and company hang a visually and aurally beautiful film. Cinematographer Dick Pope bathed the film in crisp, clean lighting, lending it the look of history come alive, while production designer Eve Stewart crafted astonishingly detailed interiors and Lindy Hemming designed strikingly colorful costumes.
For the members of the D'Oyly Carte company, Leigh specifically hired actors who could sing. Among the more notable are Kevin McKidd, Jessie Bond, Timothy Spall and Martin Savage. While all of the actors turn in fine work, special note must also be made of Lesley Manville, whose heartbreaking performance as Gilbert's neglected wife gives the film some added dimension.
For those who prefer a more straightforward and comprehensive biographical film about the duo, they should check out 1953's "The Story of Gilbert and Sullivan" with Robert Morley and Maurice Evans. Those interested in a leisurely, if slightly meandering, but well-acted depiction of creativity filtered through Gilbert and Sullivan should check out "Topsy-Turvy."
* MPAA rating: R, for a scene of risque nudity.
"Topsy Turvy"
Jim Broadbent: William S. Gilbert Allan Corduner: Arthur Sullivan Dexter Fletcher: Louis Suki Smith: Clothilde Wendy Nottingham: Helen Lenoir
A USA presentation. Director Mike Leigh. Screenplay Mike Leigh. Producer Simon Channing-Williams. Director of photography Dick Pope. Editor Robin Sales. Music Carl Davis and Arthur Sullivan. Production designer Eve Stewart. Costume designer Linda Hemming. Running time: 2 hours, 40 minutes.

After the success of "The Shawshank Redemption," an adaptation of the Stephen King story set in a prison that received seven Academy Award nominations in 1994, writer-director Frank Darabont was poised to become the next big thing.
But the vagaries of Hollywood took over and, over the course of five years, he reportedly made uncredited contributions to the "Star Wars" prequels and the Omaha Beach opening sequences of "Saving Private Ryan."
When he did find that elusive follow-up project, it was yet another King adaptation, ironically also set in a prison. Although the director jokes, "I wasn't waiting around for five years for the next prison movie I could make -- it's really King's work I'd have to focus in on because I find he's got such a spark of humanity, a humanism in his work, even in the more obviously horror pieces. People don't really recognize ... that there's a real love of humanity in that man's work and a spirituality in his work that comes through. That's what I found most compelling about this story. It was a hell of an emotional journey. So when I read it, I thought, 'Oh, I've got to go back to prison!'"
"The Green Mile" was King's serialized novel centering on the unlikely relationship between guard Paul Edgecomb (played by Tom Hanks for the bulk of the film and veteran actor Dabs Greer in the wraparound sequences) and death row inmate John Coffey (Michael Clarke Duncan), a giant of a man who harbors paranormal empathetic abilities.
Filled with strong performances from a cast that includes a mix of recognizable performers (James Cromwell, Harry Dean Stanton, David Morse) and relative newcomers (Barry Pepper, Doug Hutchison, Sam Rockwell), the film version of "The Green Mile" generated Oscar buzz even before its theatrical release.
Darabont maintained a rather sanguine attitude, however.
"I don't really make movies for the review boards or the critics necessarily," said Darabount. "I find it ironic. This is like an instant replay of "Shawshank" for me because we're getting some fantastic reviews, and we're getting some not so fantastic reviews.
"There's never been a movie made that gets great reviews across the board. But I've noticed that some of the critics who are now lauding "Shawshank" as some kind of modern classic are the very same critics who slammed it when it first came out as being too long, too sentimental. I just can't listen to critics. They'll just keep you chasing your tail."
Maintaining his vision took several years, though. Stephen King had been so impressed with "The Shawshank Redemption" that he let Darabont option "The Green Mile" for $1. Tom Hanks joined the project after receiving the script; he, too, had been impressed with the 1994 film and at the luncheon for the Oscar nominees had expressed to Darabont a desire to work together. Once a star of Hanks' magnitude was signed, casting the other key roles became paramount.
"I got all my first choices," said Darabont. "Now some of them, mind you, I didn't know when we started casting. They had to come into the room and audition as part of that process, but there's not a single person in this movie who wasn't my first choice."
His philosophy for selecting performers is also fairly straightforward.
"I love taking actors of that caliber who haven't really had a chance to show what they can do, and I love taking them and really giving them roles like that where they just sort of burst onto the scene and [the audience says], 'My gosh, where's this guy been?'"
For three of the film's cast members, that opportunity has already begun to pay off. At 6'5" and weighing in at over 300 pounds, 36-year-old Michael Clarke Duncan is certainly noticeable. Seven years ago, he was digging ditches in his native Chicago and moonlighting as a bouncer and security guard. Despite his massive size and deep Barry White-like voice, Duncan harbored a secret dream instilled by his mother -- to be an actor. "She's the one who pushed me in that direction."
Still, the move from real-life tough guy to a reel life one had pitfalls.
"Security was my life at one point," said Duncan. "That's all I was doing, and I got with a play called "Beauty Shop, Part 2" and we toured the country for about a year. I wasn't an actor. I was the owner's bodyguard. And we shut down in L.A. about six years ago and everything kind of snowballed.
"An agent saw me trying to get some pictures made and said, 'Hey, maybe I can help you.' At first I went on at least 50 auditions and nothing came up. I was getting ready to go back home. I called my mother. I'm ready to quit. Hollywood is too tough. I admit it; I've been beaten.
"She said, 'No, you haven't. You've only been beaten if you give up, and I didn't raise a failure.' She hung up the phone. She always spoiled me and kind of hugged me, and I thought she'd say, come on, baby. ... She hung up. It was the last thing I expected from my mother and kind of toughened it up after that and made it on through."
At first, Duncan was typecast in films and TV sitcoms as a bouncer or security guard or "big guy at the door." His breakthrough came with "Armageddon," a role he landed in part by taking a risk at his audition. In front of producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Michael Bay, Duncan poured a bottle of water over his head before his reading, figuring it was something that would make him memorable. The strategy paid off as he landed the role which in a roundabout manner led to his casting as John Coffey in "The Green Mile."
As Duncan explained, "People told me that Bruce [Willis] was this person you do not want to get to know, to stay away from him, to not talk to him while he's in character. So when we passed [on the set], I'd put my head down or I'd avoid him totally.
And one day, I'm coming out and he's standing there, and I tried to ease away and he said, "Hold up. Your name is Michael, right?" I said, "Yes." He said, "You never speak to me." I said, "I'm not trying to be funny or anything, but I heard that you can be hell on wheels." He said, "Do I treat you like that?" I said, "I've never given you the opportunity to treat me like that." He said, "Why don't we start over?"
They shook hands and struck a friendship. It was Willis, a Stephen King fan, who told Duncan to go out and read the book, and it was Willis who called Darabont and told him, "I've found your John Coffey" (Willis and Duncan later co-starred in "The Whole Nine Yards" set for a March 2000 release).
Down-to-earth and possessing a terrific sense of humor, Duncan clearly realized the heady company he was in during the filming.
"You don't know how much joy that really gave me to come on a set and see Tom Hanks," said Duncan. "It was like playing with Michael Jordan. It's like playing with a legend."
He also realized the potential pitfalls.
"We're actors, and we get paid by what we do. And I don't go into a role and say, I don't want to offend you, I don't want to offend you ... because as an actor, you're going to offend somebody at some point in time. But you want to get out there and do the best job that you can and if I've offended anybody, I'm sorry but the bill collectors don't stop calling because you're trying not to offend the world. So you have to go out there and you have to try to do a really good job."
While crediting his mother for instilling certain values, Duncan also acknowledges "a higher being."
"I do believe that miracles happen. It's a miracle that six years, almost seven years ago, I was digging ditches in Chicago and now I'm working with a two-time Academy Award winner and everyone is talking about the movie that we did together. So you have to believe. I told some kids at my high school that, if you have a dream, you and going back to Chicago and that would have meant on a d fferent plane somebody else would be sitting here and you'd be talking to them. And I'd be in Chicago and you never would know me. But you have to believe in things like that. I think it's imperative that you do."
Co-star Doug Hutchison (who plays the prissy, mean-spirited guard Percy Wetmore) echoes a similar sentiment.
"We grow up, and we're so impatient through our 20s and we're like, what are we going to do with our lives. And I want this and I want that and then suddenly there comes a time, I think it happens at different points for different people, in our lives where you kind of just become who you are," Hutchison said. "And it settles and sifts in and suddenly you're walking down the street and you're feeling centered or something.
"And then the doors start opening. I kind of feel that in my life right now. I've dreamed this and now it's manifesting and it's happening exactly at the time it's supposed to and I'm ready. I'm thrilled. I feel blessed."
The Delaware-born, Michigan-raised Hutchison, who declines to reveal his age, has spent the past decade or so on the fringes. After five years of stage work in regional and New York theater, he became something of a cult figure with roles on "The X-Files" (as killer Eugene Tooms), "Space: Above and Beyond" (as the villainous alien Elroy-El) and "Millennium" (as the equally reprehensible "Polaroid Man"). The compact, good-looking actor who speaks in a quiet, modulated voice hardly appears to be able to muster these evil characters. Add to his rogue's gallery one of the redneck rapists responsible for an attack on a child in "A Time to Kill", though, and he becomes an obvious choice for the role of Percy. Yet, it was a long road to landing this breakout role.
"My manager called and he said there's a script called "The Green Mile" that you should read. And I read it and wept like a baby and I called him up and said, 'Sam, I will play a spear carrier in this movie. I will be a glorified extra. I just want to lend myself to this.' It was just one of the most beautiful, moving scripts I'd ever read in the entirety of my career to date. And he said, 'Well, they're interested in you for the part of Percy.'"
"At that time, Frank was only seeing a select group of people and, I wasn't part of that select selection. But Mali Finn was the casting director, and she had cast me in "A Time to Kill" and [I had] played a small role in "Batman &amp; Robin". She's been in my court for a while. She had me come in and put me on videotape and then she showed the videotape to Frank. And as the story goes, I was chomping on gum in part of my audition, and I spit it out about halfway through. Well, as soon as I came up on the screen, Frank said to Mali, 'Fast forward, I don't need to see anymore. I hate it when actors chew gum.'"
"It was actually Mali who saved the day and said, 'Whoa, whoa, whoa. Wait a minute, Frank; just give it some time. Watch the audition and see what you think afterwards.'
"Well, despite the gum chewing, I think Frank was inclined to bring me in, which he did. I went in shaking in my boots, because it was Frank "The Shawshank Redemption" Darabont. And I auditioned and over the course of the next six and a half weeks, it was this grueling process of elimination. Every week, it was a different story. 'It's between you and 24 other guys. It's between you and 16 other guys, yada, yada, yada.' By the last weekend it got down to, 'It's between you and 2 other guys. Frank's going to make his decision on Monday.'
"So, needless to say, I spent the most sleepless weekend of my life. Monday afternoon rolls around, and there's my manager Sam standing on the threshold. And he'd never been to my apartment before, ever. I said, 'Sam, what the hell are you doing here? Did somebody die? What?'
"And he said, 'No. I just wanted to be here to tell you in the flesh that you're going to be walking "The Green Mile."
"And I literally broke down and wept in his arms."
The only real preparation Hutchison did was to study with a vocal coach to pin down the specific Louisiana dialect, which he maintained on and off screen throughout the duration of the shoot. Otherwise, "I think when you're working on a role, I think, inevitably, the character kind of slowly seeps in, in aspects and so it's always swimming around down there in your guts. But obviously I had to leave Percy on the set. It just wasn't feasible to embody Percy and walk around Los Angeles."
He does allow, however, that "emotionally and personably, I imagine if you talk to my girlfriend, she would tell you that it was a test of patience and courage to be living with aspects of Percy for three months."
While Hutchison may not have done much research to find his character, Sam Rockwell, who was cast as the heinous killer William 'Wild Bill' Wharton, a.k.a. 'Billy the Kid', immersed himself in his acting techniques to create "particularizations." The 31-year-old actor, whose resume includes indie films such as "In the Soup" and "Lawn Dogs" as well as more mainstream fare such as "William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream," often creates montages of videotapes which help him discover his characters. For "The Green Mile", in addition to relying on the book for ad libbing, he interviewed "people who'd been in jail ... talked to some correctional officers, read interviews [with prisoners] on death row" and watched documentaries such as "Scared Straight," "Harlan County USA" (for the Kentucky accent) and "Fast Food Women."
In creating the persona of this character, whom Rockwell calls "pretty clear cut," "I knew he was Huckleberry Finn and the devil mixed together. ... He's a real white trash nightmare." The actor turned to two unlikely influences: Michael Keaton in "Beetlejuice" and a young Muhammed Ali.
"One thing I was really nervous about," Rockwell said, "was the confidence this character has, because I'm more of a sort of a self-deprecating person. I'm not really a braggart and a show-off and that was what watching Muhammed Ali was really good for. Because he was a boaster, and he had that bravado. That was helpful. And watching Michael Keaton was helpful for the movements and a lot of the comedy. ... [Playing Wild Bill is] not unlike stand-up comedy. ... It felt like he was doing a stand-up routine."
Another concern for the actor, despite his credits, was being typecast. "That makes me a little nervous. I think that's one of the reasons I wanted to look different in the movie. Have false teeth and stuff like that. I think people are going to remember this character, and I want to play different characters.
"I don't think mainstream America has no idea of who I am, this'll be their first glimpse. I've got some things coming up (like playing Drew Barrymore's boyfriend in the upcoming "Charlie's Angels") where I'll be normal looking."
Having started his career on stage with his mother, Penny, now an artist, Rockwell hopes to emulate the actors he admires such as co-star Hanks to John Malkovich, John Turturro, Sean Penn, Ed Norton, Gary Oldman, Jeff Bridges and Jon Voight. "Those are the actors you aspire to be," said Rockwell. "Robert Duvall, somebody with that kind of versatility and longevity."
And while he hopes to "continue to do theater, it's hard because you kind of have to stay in the pipeline with film." Still, he, like Michael Clarke Duncan and Doug Hutchison, makes the same simple statement: "I've been very lucky."

Novelist and college teacher Grady Tripp (Michael Douglas) is a literary luminary on the strength of his smash first book but his follow-up is going nowhere after years of effort. Blocked emotionally as well as creatively this rumpled pot-smoking eccentric has driven away his wife and squandered another opportunity for love with his school's hubby-cheating chancellor (Frances McDormand). Then an exceptionally gifted young student (Tobey Maguire) triggers a series of misadventures that exceeds anything Grady ever dreamed up for his fiction.
In a performance that rivals his work in "Wall Street" as the best of his career Douglas grounds the film with effortless-looking naturalism and crusty charm. His knack for bringing sympathy to unsavory characters allows "Wonder Boys" to retain an edge while stealthily reaching for viewers' heartstrings. Playing a sensitive misfit coming of age for the umpteenth time is no stretch for Maguire ("The Cider House Rules") but he's touchingly effective nonetheless. The invaluable Robert Downey Jr. ("Chaplin") is delightful as Grady's stressed-out but loyal agent who hits town with a hulking transvestite on his arm.
Curtis Hanson ("L.A. Confidential") takes the fine screenplay adaptation by Steve Kloves ("The Fabulous Baker Boys") and wrings it for every drop of humor and pathos. Wise and full of heart in its sly way "Wonder Boys" is the kind of deeply satisfying piece filmmakers must have in mind when they set out to make dramas. The obvious disparity between the film's wide critical acclaim and dismal box-office performance earlier this year led Paramount Pictures to give it a rare re-release as the holiday Oscar season gets underway.

Julie Walters shines as Bernie McPhelimy a working-class mother of four who is sick to death of living on the front lines. In curlers and a housecoat she chews out a gunman shooting from her welcome mat as if he were a naughty child. But it isn't until her best friend is shot dead while looking after one of Bernie's kids that she turns from Valium to activism. Daring to criticize the IRA as well as the British army Bernie becomes the town pariah though her gumption turns her into an unlikely celebrity. Ostracized and bullied by their friends her kids -- especially adolescent Ann who just wants to keep her new boyfriend -- resent her and suspect all this fame is going to her head.
In her best film role since "Educating Rita " Julie Walters shows she still has a surplus of piss and vinegar. Her Bernie also displays a sardonic (if exhausted) wit and an all-too-human ego as her fame spreads. While Ciaran Hinds is effective as the ulcer-addled apprehensive husband and Nuala O'Neill gives an appropriately mopey angst-ridden performance as Ann vibrant supporting performances by the townspeople really bring soul and humor to this film.
Quite different from his last film the glossy fluffy "Notting Hill " Rodger Michell's "Titanic Town" is a small indie with many fine miniature moments such as Bernie's preoccupation with the dust bunnies under the bed as British soldiers forcibly search her home. With a spate of IRA films preceding it Michell's is the only one to really show "The Troubles" through a mother's eyes.

Loosely interwoven plotlines about five characters representing the human senses: A magic-fingered massage therapist (Gabrielle Rose); a bespectacled teenage voyeur (Nadia Litz); a cake baker whose taste in men gets her into trouble (Mary-Louise Parker); a music-loving Frenchman who is losing his hearing (Philippe Volter); and a bisexual house cleaner who says his sensitive shnozz can sniff true love (Daniel MacIvor). Tying the stories together -- sort of -- is the search for a lost young girl in the vicinity.
The terrific ensemble of mostly Canadian actors doesn't have a weak link. Playwright/performance artist MacIvor and Hollywood import Parker break up the picture's melancholy tone with much-needed moments of sarcastic humor. Veteran French thespian Volter gives a complex nuanced performance as a somewhat self-involved eye doctor whose impending deafness eventually generates real pathos.
Writer-producer-director Jeremy Podeswa has mixed success executing this abstract thematically ambitious work. Visually he and cinematographer Gregory Middleton serve up a true feast for the senses -- light streaming into imaginatively decorated rooms close-ups of objects so finely textured you want to reach out and grab them. On the narrative level the director has difficulty maintaining dramatic tension while intercutting between the several independent storylines.

Brace yourself Dr. Laura. This clueless teen queen (Natasha Lyonne) has it all: good looks a football captain boyfriend and a popular pair of pom-poms. But her candy-colored world crumbles when her panicked parents stage an intervention after finding a Melissa Etheridge poster that leads them to conclude she's a friend of Ellen. After being carted off to an anti-gay rehab camp for teens the perky princess must choose between the straight and narrow-minded or the love that dare not speak its name.
The quirky ensemble casting is half this film's fun. Lyonne is charming as the pepster tempted by T&amp;A and she sparks onscreen with swanky and sexy co-star Clea DuVall who plays the butch femme fatale suitor (alarmingly reminiscent of Nancy McKeon's Jo from "The Facts of Life.") Drag queen supreme RuPaul is unrecognizable out of his high heels and even higher blond wig wearing a "Straight is Great" T-shirt as a macho militant ex-gay counselor. Cathy Moriaty is sweetly sinister as the homophobic headmistress and Mink Stole steals scenes as the uptight upright meddling mom.
Kudos to Jamie Babbit for tackling this hot-potato topic but this well-intentioned film too often misses its mark turning potentially comical scenes into unbearably awkward moments. Babbit fouls when tugging at the heartstrings but hits home runs when the humor is at its broadest.

Mel Gibson's "The Patriot" and George Clooney's "The Perfect Storm" should spark big box office fireworks this weekend.
"Patriot," the R-rated period piece drama from Columbia Pictures and Centropolis Entertainment, marched into 3,061 theaters Wednesday. It grossed an encouraging estimated $5.0 million ($1,633 per theater) in its first skirmishes with moviegoers.
"Patriot's" overall first-choice tracking of 26 percent has most insiders predicting it will win the five-day battle that ends with the Fourth of July holiday. After its $5 million start, it could wind up with a first place finish of $30 million or more for three days (Friday-Sunday) and $40 million or more for five days (Wednesday-Sunday).
"If you extrapolate from other performances on this kind of holiday, it could very well get to $30 million," a studio source explains. "It's a 2 hour 40 minute film. But using percentages based on 'Apollo 13,' which opened (in 1995 when July Fourth also fell on a Tuesday), that's what we could be looking at." "Apollo 13" opened on Fri., June 30, 1995, via Universal, grossing $25.4 million for three days (June 30-July 2) at 2,197 theaters.
Directed by Roland Emmerich, "Patriot" stars Mel Gibson and Heath Ledger.
"Patriot's" big competition will come from George Clooney in Warner Bros.' PG-13-rated special effects adventure drama "The Perfect Storm," opening Friday (6/30) at 3,407 theaters.
"Storm's" 21 percent first-choice tracking score also puts it on track to make big waves at the box office. Insiders say the most likely scenario is for it to come in a strong second with $20-25 million. On the other hand, there are those who predict that thanks to the broader playability it has with its PG-13 rating, it could score an upset victory and sail into first place.
"'Perfect Storm' is a broader appeal film, quite frankly," says an observer at another studio. "You've got to keep that in mind. 'Patriot's' been the front-runner, but I'm not so sure it's the definite winner. I think they're going to eat into each other's audiences. 'Perfect Storm' is more of a (special effects) thrill ride."
Directed by Wolfgang Petersen, "Storm" stars George Clooney and Mark Wahlberg.
"The Fourth of July is such an unpredictable weekend, depending on weather," a studio executive explains. "And there's no precedent for two movies of this kind going head to head on this weekend, not in recent years anyway."
Is there enough room for both high profile openings? "The market can certainly absorb these two big movies going head to head, if each movie has inherent appeal," he adds.
Exactly how many tickets either film actually sells on July Fourth itself will depend on how much rain falls Tuesday, especially in the Northeast. If picnics are rained out that day in most of the original 13 Colonies, ticket sales will benefit.
"The last time July Fourth was on a Tuesday was in 1995," a distributor notes. "If you look at what happened then, Monday was down 10 percent to 15% from Sunday, and Tuesday was down another 10 percent to 15% from that. But if we were to get a lot of rain in the Northeast on Tuesday...(that would help business). The Fourth of July is one of those days that if the weather's good, it's a negative, and if the weather's terrible, it's a positive."
As for "Patriot" versus "Storm," one executive speculates, "I think for the three-day weekend, there's probably going to be a $10 million spread in favor of 'The Patriot.' This movie feels to me like a movie people gotta go see. I think if it rains Tuesday, 'Perfect Storm' and 'Chicken Run' benefit more than 'The Patriot.' If it rains Tuesday, the family is going to do something, and a movie's a good alternative to their normal (outdoor) celebration. I think that's when 'Patriot' would get hurt (because of its R rating)."
Between "Patriot" and "Storm," insiders are expecting to see record-setting July Fourth weekend grosses. Last year, when July Fourth fell on a Sunday, key films - those grossing $500,000 or more from July 2-5 - took in $160.4 million, setting a July Fourth box office record.
Last year's top-grossing film over July Fourth weekend was Warner Bros.' opening of "Wild Wild West" with $36.4 million for four days and a six day cume of $49.7 million. Columbia's "Big Daddy" was second with $26.8 million. Buena Vista/Disney's "Tarzan" was third with $19.3 million. Paramount's launch of its R-rated animated feature "South Park: Bigger, Longer &amp; Uncut" was fourth with $14.8 million for four days and a six day cume of $23.1 million. Paramount's "The General's Daughter" rounded out the top five with $14.2 million.
This July Fourth weekend should see 20th Century Fox's R-rated Jim Carrey comedy "Me, Myself &amp; Irene" slip two pegs to third place. "Irene" kicked off in first place last weekend to $24.2 million. Going into its second weekend, it was a 12 percent overall first choice in the tracking.
"It probably comes in somewhere in the mid-teens," a distributor projects. "If it drops even 40 percent, it's $15 million. I think it's third. If it's not third - if it takes a 45 percent or 50% hit this weekend -- you can add that to the list of Fox's problems."
Directed by Peter &amp; Bobby Farrelly ("There's Something About Mary"), "Irene" stars Jim Carrey and Renee Zellweger.
DreamWorks' G-rated animated feature "Chicken Run" should drop two coops to fourth place in its second week with about $12 million. After opening last weekend in second place to $17.5 million, DreamWorks is beefing up its run this weekend - going to about 2,840 theaters from 2,491 theaters.
"'Chicken Run' could be a good candidate for that family movie, that consensus movie on July Fourth," says one insider.
Directed by Peter Lord &amp; Nick Park, "Chicken" features such voices as Mel Gibson and Miranda Richardson.
The weekend's other new arrival, Universal's PG-rated live action/computer animated comedy drama "The Adventures of Rocky &amp; Bullwinkle," should be snapping at "Chicken's" heels in fifth place.
Like most animated features, "Rocky" wasn't tracking big going into the weekend. Nonetheless, opening at about 2,500 theaters, it could mop up $10-12 million over the weekend and soak up a few million more if it rains on the Fourth.
"The (tracking) numbers took a big jump for kids and parents," an insider points out. "The younger the kids are, the more interested the parents are in taking them." "Rocky" was a 20 percent first choice with parents who said they were planning to take their children to see a movie this weekend.
Directed by Des McAnuff, "Rocky" stars Rene Russo, Jason Alexander and Robert De Niro.
"You could see families go to the megaplex and split up," an insider suggests. "Mom and Dad go see 'Patriot' or 'Perfect Storm' and the kids go in to 'Rocky &amp; Bullwinkle' or 'Chicken Run.' Of course, kids can go to 'Perfect Storm,' too. I think the megaplex phenomenon has helped R-rated movies in these situations. Families prefer to see a movie together, but some will split up (if the kids can be right next door in the same megaplex)."
Filling out lower rungs this weekend: "Shaft," "Gone In 60 Seconds," ""Big Momma's House," "Mission: Impossible 2" and "Gladiator."
On the limited release front: Sony Pictures Classics' R-rated comedy thriller "Trixie" from writer-director Alan Rudolph opens in New York and Los Angeles. Its story involves a bumbling security guard working undercover at a corrupt casino and becoming part of a plot to blackmail a politician.
Written and directed by Alan Rudolph, it stars Emily Watson, Dermot Mulroney, Nick Nolte, Nathan Lane, Brittany Murphy, Lesley Ann Warren and Will Patton.

Mel Gibson's "The Patriot" and George Clooney's "The Perfect Storm" should spark big box office fireworks this weekend.
"Patriot," the R-rated period piece drama from Columbia Pictures and Centropolis Entertainment, marched into 3,061 theaters Wednesday. It grossed an encouraging estimated $5.0 million ($1,633 per theater) in its first skirmishes with moviegoers.
"Patriot's" overall first-choice tracking of 26% has most insiders predicting it will win the five-day battle that ends with the Fourth of July holiday. After its $5 million start, it could wind up with a first place finish of $30 million or more for three days (Friday-Sunday) and $40 million or more for five days (Wednesday-Sunday).
"If you extrapolate from other performances on this kind of holiday, it could very well get to $30 million," a studio source explains. "It's a 2 hour 40 minute film. But using percentages based on 'Apollo 13,' which opened (in 1995 when July Fourth also fell on a Tuesday), that's what we could be looking at." "Apollo 13" opened on Fri., June 30, 1995, via Universal, grossing $25.4 million for three days (June 30-July 2) at 2,197 theaters.
Directed by Roland Emmerich, "Patriot" stars Mel Gibson and Heath Ledger.
"Patriot's" big competition will come from George Clooney in Warner Bros.' PG-13-rated special effects adventure drama "'s "The Perfect Storm," opening Friday (6/30) at 3,407 theaters.
"'s "Storm's" 21% first-choice tracking score also puts it on track to make big waves at the box office. Insiders say the most likely scenario is for it to come in a strong second with $20-25 million. On the other hand, there are those who predict that thanks to the broader playability it has with its PG-13-rating, it could score an upset victory and sail into first place.
"''s "Perfect Storm' is a broader appeal film, quite frankly," says an observer at another studio. "You've got to keep that in mind. 'Patriot's' been the front-runner, but I'm not so sure it's the definite winner. I think they're going to eat into each other's audiences. ''s "Perfect Storm' is more of a (special effects) thrill ride."
Directed by Wolfgang Petersen, "'s "Storm" stars George Clooney and Mark Wahlberg.
"The Fourth of July is such an unpredictable weekend, depending on weather," a studio executive explains. "And there's no precedent for two movies of this kind going head to head on this weekend, not in recent years anyway."
Is there enough room for both high profile openings? "The market can certainly absorb these two big movies going head to head, if each movie has inherent appeal," he adds.
Exactly how many tickets either film actually sells on July Fourth itself will depend on how much rain falls Tuesday, especially in the Northeast. If picnics are rained out that day in most of the original 13 Colonies, ticket sales will benefit.
"The last time July Fourth was on a Tuesday was in 1995," a distributor notes. "If you look at what happened then, Monday was down 10% to 15% from Sunday, and Tuesday was down another 10% to 15% from that. But if we were to get a lot of rain in the Northeast on Tuesday...(that would help business). The Fourth of July is one of those days that if the weather's good, it's a negative, and if the weather's terrible, it's a positive."
As for "Patriot" versus "'s "Storm," one executive speculates, "I think for the three-day weekend, there's probably going to be a $10 million spread in favor of 'The Patriot.' This movie feels to me like a movie people gotta go see. I think if it rains Tuesday, ''s "Perfect Storm' and 'Chicken Run' benefit more than 'The Patriot.' If it rains Tuesday, the family is going to do something, and a movie's a good alternative to their normal (outdoor) celebration. I think that's when 'Patriot' would get hurt (because of its R rating)."
Between "Patriot" and "'s "Storm," insiders are expecting to see record-setting July Fourth weekend grosses. Last year, when July Fourth fell on a Sunday, key films - those grossing $500,000 or more from July 2-5 - took in $160.4 million, setting a July Fourth box office record.
Last year's top-grossing film over July Fourth weekend was Warner Bros.' opening of "Wild Wild West" with $36.4 million for four days and a six day cume of $49.7 million. Columbia's "Big Daddy" was second with $26.8 million. Buena Vista/Disney's "Tarzan" was third with $19.3 million.
Paramount's launch of its R-rated animated feature "South Park: Bigger, Longer &amp; Uncut" was fourth with $14.8 million for four days and a six day cume of $23.1 million. Paramount's "The General's Daughter" rounded out the top five with $14.2 million.
This July Fourth weekend should see 20th Century Fox's R-rated Jim Carrey comedy "Me, Myself &amp; Irene" slip two pegs to third place. "Irene" kicked off in first place last weekend to $24.2 million. Going into its second weekend, it was a 12% overall first choice in the tracking.
"It probably comes in somewhere in the mid-teens," a distributor projects. "If it drops even 40%, it's $15 million. I think it's third. If it's not third - if it takes a 45% or 50% hit this weekend -- you can add that to the list of Fox's problems."
Directed by Peter &amp; Bobby Farrelly ("There's Something About Mary"), "Irene" stars Jim Carrey and Renee Zellweger.
DreamWorks' G-rated animated feature "Chicken Run" should drop two coops to fourth place in its second week with about $12 million. After opening last weekend in second place to $17.5 million, DreamWorks is beefing up its run this weekend - going to about 2,840 theaters from 2,491 theaters.
"'Chicken Run' could be a good candidate for that family movie, that consensus movie on July Fourth," says one insider.
Directed by Peter Lord &amp; Nick Park, "Chicken" features such voices as Mel Gibson and Miranda Richardson.
The weekend's other new arrival, Universal's PG-rated live action/computer animated comedy drama "The Adventures of Rocky &amp; Bullwinkle," should be snapping at "Chicken's" heels in fifth place.
Like most animated features, "Rocky" wasn't tracking big going into the weekend. Nonetheless, opening at about 2,500 theaters, it could mop up $10-12 million over the weekend and soak up a few million more if it rains on the Fourth.
"The (tracking) numbers took a big jump for kids and parents," an insider points out. "The younger the kids are, the more interested the parents are in taking them." "Rocky" was a 20% first choice with parents who said they were planning to take their children to see a movie this weekend.
Directed by Des McAnuff, "Rocky" stars Rene Russo, Jason Alexander and Robert De Niro.
"You could see families go to the megaplex and split up," an insider suggests. "Mom and Dad go see 'Patriot' or ''s "Perfect Storm' and the kids go in to 'Rocky &amp; Bullwinkle' or 'Chicken Run.' Of course, kids can go to ''s "Perfect Storm,' too. I think the megaplex phenomenon has helped R-rated movies in these situations. Families prefer to see a movie together, but some will split up (if the kids can be right next door in the same megaplex)."
Filling out lower rungs this weekend: "Shaft," "Gone In 60 Seconds," ""Big Momma's House," "Mission: Impossible 2" and "Gladiator."
On the limited release front: Sony Pictures Classics' R-rated comedy thriller "Trixie" from writer-director Alan Rudolph opens in New York and Los Angeles. Its story involves a bumbling security guard working undercover at a corrupt casino and becoming part of a plot to blackmail a politician.
Written and directed by Alan Rudolph, it stars Emily Watson, Dermot Mulroney, Nick Nolte, Nathan Lane, Brittany Murphy, Lesley Ann Warren and Will Patton.